Recently, she tested an all-terrain Freedom Trax wheelchair, which enabled her to take the stairs directly down to the beach for the first time in over 50 years. “It didn’t prevent me from getting onto the beach — and then going wherever I wanted to, and just be[ing] on the beach like everyone else, and under my own power,” she said. “It was indescribable.”
What to bear in mind when looking for a beach wheelchair rental
Beaches can be challenging to make accessible, Lewkowicz said. Designing a wheelchair for the beach is not an easy task, which makes the resulting equipment very expensive to own as an individual — and even more so for a motorized one. “But they sure offer a greater amount of independence,” Lewkowicz said.
By contrast, manual — non-motorized — wheelchairs can be more affordable but bring drawbacks. They’re not always easy to push on the beach, Lewkowicz said, and require a second person to assist with pushing the chair. For example, “Two elderly people that have mobility disabilities … might not be able to push one another,” Lewkowicz said.
Still, manual beach wheelchairs can offer large wheels meant to tackle the sandy terrain and specialized handles to make this pushing easier. While beaches in the Bay Area do not yet offer motorized beach wheelchairs for rent, you can still find many areas where manual wheelchairs are available — usually for free.
Lewkowicz said that this kind of adaptive equipment “doesn’t have to be so narrowly thought of that it’s just for someone that has a permanent disability.”
“Maybe you’re recovering from hip surgery or something, and you’re an avid beachgoer [who wants] to get on the beach while you’re recovering,” she said.
Exploring the Golden Gate with a wheelchair rental
At Golden Gate National Recreation Area (GGNRA), the beach wheelchair program began thanks to a donation from the California Coastal Commission. “The donation was to purchase a beach wheelchair and make it free to individuals visiting the park. And after 15 years, our program has grown over time, and it’s a very popular program,” said Richard De La O, accessibility program manager at GGNRA, Muir Woods National Monument and Fort Point National Historic Site.
GGNRA offers beach wheelchairs as a free service to visitors throughout the park. Wheelchairs are kept in lockers on-site at Stinson Beach, Muir Beach, Rodeo Beach, Baker Beach and Crissy Field’s East Beach. They can also be picked up from the GGNRA headquarters building at Fort Mason for use elsewhere in the park.
To reserve a wheelchair, you can email the accessibility team at goga_accessibility@nps.gov with your name, phone number and the location within the park that you’ll be visiting.
Additionally, seasonal beach mats are available at Rodeo Beach and Crissy Field’s East Beach — to provide a surface that’s easier for a wheelchair to navigate at the entrance of each beach. (Read more information about wheelchairs and beach mats at GGNRA.)
Where can I rent or borrow a beach wheelchair in the Bay Area?
Here’s a list of beaches that offer beach wheelchair reservations in the Bay Area, according to the California Coastal Commission. Ways to reserve a wheelchair can greatly differ from place to place, so be sure you’ve made the right arrangements for the spot you’re heading to.
City and County of San Francisco
- Baker Beach, San Francisco.
- Ocean Beach, San Francisco
- East Beach, Crissy Field, San Francisco
- Fort Mason, San Francisco
Reserve a chair ahead of time to pick up from Fort Mason and drive to other San Francisco beaches. Email goga_accessibility@nps.gov or call 415-561-4700.
San Mateo County
- Francis Beach
- Half Moon Bay State Beach
Two manual wheelchairs are available free of charge from the entrance kiosk upon request. Call 650-726-8821 or find more information online.
Alameda County
- Crown Memorial State Beach, Alameda
Wheelchairs are available on a first-come, first-served basis. They require an assistant to push and are not intended to enter the water. To arrange for the use of a chair, call the Crab Cove Visitors Center at 510-544-3187 or the Crown Beach park office at 888-27-2757, option 3, ext. 4522. Arrangements will be made to bring the chair out to the beach. It takes approximately 15 minutes to prepare the chair. Staff will give a brief orientation to the chair and arrange a time for the chair to be returned. For more information, call 510-544-3187 or find more details online.
Marin County
- Drakes Beach, Point Reyes National Seashore
- Schoonmaker Point Marina, Sausalito. Contact Environmental Traveling Companions to reserve a chair: 415-474-7662 x13 or email kayak@etctrips.org
- Rodeo Beach, Headlands Visitor Center, Ft. Barry: The chair must be reserved ahead of time. To reserve and find more information, call 415-331-1540 or 415-561-4700 or email goga_accessibility@nps.gov. Read more information online.
- Muir Beach: The chair must be reserved ahead of time. To reserve and find more information, call 415-331-1540 or 415-561-4700 or email goga_accessibility@nps.gov. Read more information online.
- China Camp State Park, San Rafael: Two beach wheelchairs are available on a first-come, first-served basis. They can be checked out from the China Camp Village cafe at 100 China Camp Village Road, San Rafael, open Saturday and Sunday except during winter months. For further information, contact Friends of China Camp at info@friendsofchinacamp.org or 415-456-0766.
- Heart’s Desire Beach, Tomales Bay: A wheelchair is available year-round and is secured in the parking area at Heart’s Desire Beach. Visitors need to contact staff in advance to request the wheelchair and complete the waiver form. Call the Tomales Bay office at 415-669-1140 and leave a message regarding the chair, or email Nicholas Turner at Nicholas.Turner@parks.ca.gov or Michael Stockinger at Michael.Stockinger@parks.ca.gov.
- Stinson Beach: For more information, call 415-561-4700 or find more details online. To reserve a chair ahead of time, email goga_accessibility@nps.gov.
